Rail-joint.



M. F. MESSER & J. W. BOGGESS. RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23..I916.

l ,1 97,647. Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

mu faces UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

MARION F. MESSER AND JOSEPH W. BOGGESS, OF ELKRIDGE, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed March 23, 1916. Serial No. 86,195.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, MARION F. Mnssna and JOSEPH N. Bocenss, citizens of the United States, residing at Elkridge, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in joints of railway rails in which the ends of the rails are united without the use of bolts or {fish plates The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simply constructed joint of this character which can be very inexpensively manufactured and very easily put together by unskilled labor.

With this and other objects in View, our invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will hereinafter be more particularly described and claimed and shown in the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of one of the rail sections showing the end thereof constructed in accordance with our invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the plane of the line 4.4: of Fig. 3.

The present embodiment of our invention comprises a pair of rails 1 and l which have their webs 2 adjacent the ends thickened as shown at 3, preferably to the width of the heads 4 thereof. The adjacent ends of the rails have tongues 5 and 5 extending therefrom, the tongue 5 projecting from one side of the thickened portion 3, while the tongue 5 extends from the opposite side of the thickened portion of the other rail. In this manner the tongues are reversely disposed in overlapping engagement when the rails are arranged for use, and the ends of the tongues abut the ends of the rails. These tongues are provided on their contacting faces with downwardly extending studs 6 which project therefrom adjacent the outer ends thereof and are disposed, when the rails are in contact, within the elongated pockets 7 formed in the tongues adjacent their connection with the ends of the rails.

These pockets have downwardly and inwardly extending walls as shown at 8 so that the studs 6 may contact therewith and prevent the lateral shifting of the sections of the rails. The pockets are elongated so that there may be a slight longitudinal movement of the rails with respect to each other to compensate for their expansion and contraction during hot and cold weather, excessive longitudinal movement, however, being limited by'the contact of the studs with the outer end walls of the pockets.

The base flanges 9 of both sections of the rails are extended beyond the ends thereof as shown at 10 to a length substantially onehalf the length of the tongues 5 and 5. These extended portions are provided adjacent their connection with the thickened portions 3 of the rails with recesses 11 in which depending lugs 12 carried by the ends of the tongues 5 and 5 are normally disposed and prevent both lateral shifting of the rail sections and excessive longitudinal movement thereof. The length of the recesses 11 is preferably slightly greater than that of the lugs to allow the rails to move longitudinally slightly during expansion and contraction. The tongues are also provided preferably on their free ends with vertical ribs 13, here shown as slightly rounded and which are adapted to be disposed in the vertical grooves 14 formed in the ends of the rails.

The cooperating ends of the rails may be readily assembled by inclining the same upwardly toward each other and then moving one laterally with respect to the other until the studs 6 engage the inner faces of the tongues 5, whereupon the ends may be forced downwardly into the same horizontal plane, the studs 5 readily sliding into their pockets 7 and the ribs 13 engaging the grooves 14:. The lugs 12 also readily enter the recesses 11 during the same downward movement. In separating the rails the movements above described are merely reversed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that we have invented a very simple rail joint which is equipped with means for preventing lateral shifting of the sections while at the same time permitting slight longitudinal movement thereof. Furthermore, with such a oint as this, the use of bolts and their accessories is dispensed with, as are also the usual fish plates. Thus it will be seen that considerable less expense is attached to the manufacture of our improved joint and that also the cost of laying the same will be considerably less than with the ordinary rail.

We claim:

1. A rail joint comprising a pair of rails having reversely disposed overlapping vertical tongues extending from their adjacent ends, the end ol each tongue contacting with the end of the adjacent rail, each of said tongues having an elongated pocket provided with downwardly and inwardly extending walls, a downwardly extending stud on each of said tongues, each being disposed in one of said pockets, and a vertical rib on the end of each tongue, the ends of the rails having vertical grooves to receive said ribs.

2. A rail joint comprising a pair of rails having reversely disposed overlapping vertical tongues extending from their adjacent ends, the end of each tongue contacting with the end of the adjacent rail, each of said tongues having an elongated pocket provided with downwardly and inwardly eX- tending walls, a downwardly extending stud on each of said tongues, each being disposed in one of said pockets, the base flanges of the rails being extended beyond their the ends of the tongues and disposed in the.

adjacent sockets, each of said tongues having an elongated pocket provided with downwardly and inwardly extending walls and opening on the inner faces thereof a downwardly extending stud projecting from each of said tongues and disposed in one of said pockets, and a vertical rib on the end of each tongue, the ends 01" the rails having vertical grooves to receive said ribs.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. 7 7

MARION F. MESSER. JOSEPH WV. BOGGESS. Witnesses:

HARRY G. BROOKS, M. M. ELKINs.

Copies oi this patent say be obtained for an cents em, by massing the ommissioner of menu. Washington, D. C. 

